October 30, 2019
#GGUSDPRIDE E-newsletter
The #GGUSDPride E-newsletter features many of the great things happening in GGUSD.   
Send your photos to pio_department@ggusd.us to highlight your school or students in the e-newsletter.
GGUSD Social Workers Promote Mindfulness
The ASPIRE social worker team conducted a Mindfulness Workshop for more than 400 freshman recently. Students learned breathing exercises, positive affirmations, sensory relaxation, and contributed to a Worry Toss and a Gratitude Tree. Students wrote down their worries and tossed them in the trash, and wrote down something they were grateful for to display. The workshops were beneficial in allowing students to explore stressors they shared in common, coping strategies, and resources on campus to help support their transition into high school.
La Quinta Launches Project to Promote Kindness and Acceptance
Kudos to La Quinta High School for their commitment to create a safe, positive, and inclusive school climate, free from bias and bullying. La Quinta is teaching clear expectations about challenging bias and bullying, and incorporating curricula that reflects the diversity of its student population. With this commitment and as part of the district's Choose Wellness campaign, LQ launched a social media series called "The Human of LQ," to highlight students with diverse stories and foster a culture of understanding and inclusivity. 
SURPRISE DONATION
The Bolsa Grande High School Marching Band was recently surprised with a donation of a concert bass drum from pop rock band OneRepublic. Members of OneRepublic heard that the band was in need of a drum for their marching season, so OneRepublic donated one that they used on their last tour. Mr. Miller and the band students were elated.
GGUSD to Offer Free and Discounted ACT/SAT Prep Workshops
GGUSD high schools are offering free and discounted ACT and SAT Prep Courses to all eleventh grade students beginning in January. Registration for the prep courses begins in November.

To offer the ACT and SAT Prep Courses, GGUSD partnered with Revolution Prep, a leading education company with trusted strategies to help students improve their scores on high-stakes exams and achieve greater academic success. Typically, these courses cost parents a minimum of $700, but GGUSD will cover the majority of cost per student, and parents will pay only $50! Additionally, free and reduced rates are available for income-eligible students based on their free and reduced meal status.  The ACT and SAT exams are administered in the spring.
Watch Our Choose Wellness Call to Action Video & Get Involved Today!
Have you signed up to get involved in our Choose Wellness campaign? The campaign is aimed at equipping all students and staff with mental health and wellness resources and ending the stigma of getting help during a time in need. There are many different ways you can get involved to help promote wellness in our GGUSD community.
Kindness is Contagious at Sunnyside Elementary
Students at Sunnyside Elementary have embraced the importance of showing kindness. The Student Council plays a tremendous role in the school's focus on kindness. Students greet each other in the morning and welcome families to school. Older students provide support and mentoring to younger students and even run alongside them during Running Club. There is an atmosphere of caring as students watch out for each other and encourage each other. The Sunnyside Student Council organizes a special event each month that provides a unique way to give to special causes. For the month of October students will bring in their own bags of candy to donate to our troops. A fun turkey trot will take place in November and each student will be asked to bring $1 for the Orange County Food Bank. At the December Reindeer Run, students will donate a gently used sweater, coat, or jacket for children in need. Student Council has also started "Thankful Thursday." On Thursdays, students and staff have the opportunity to write a note of gratitude to anyone they would like to express thanks to. Note cards are available on the playground and in the office. Kindness at Sunnyside is contagious and the Kindness Wall in the multipurpose room showcases students and staff who were caught performing random acts of kindness.
GGUSD Nurses and Health Assistants Support Student Wellness
GGUSD is grateful for our awesome school nurses and health assistants who go above and beyond to keep students healthy and support both their physical and socio-emotional wellness by providing a high level of care! At their recent Health Assistant Meeting, school nurses provided small group instruction and training to our team of health assistants on important topics like health record maintenance, immunization tracking, medication administration, and more. Thanks to these top notch health professionals for supporting the goals of our Choose Wellness Campaign and carrying out The Garden Grove Way.
Paine Elementary Students Pledge to Stay Drug-Free

Hocus Pocus, Drugs Aren’t Our Focus: During Red Ribbon Week, Paine Elementary students celebrated making wise choices and living healthy lives. Teachers and staff took the opportunity to talk to students about the dangers of drug use. This year’s theme for Red Ribbon Week is, “Send a Message. Stay Drug Free.” Keeping with the theme, Paine’s Student Council sponsored a poster contest, encouraging students to design a postcard with a drug-free message and include a message to their future self. 


GGUSD Launches ParentSquare to Expand Parent Communication
GGUSD has launched ParentSquare, an easy-to-use communication platform to reach and engage every parent, ensuring all parents have the opportunity to actively participate in their children’s education and stay up-to-date on district and school news. 

ParentSquare features:
  • district and school-wide mass notifications through voice, email, text, and new mobile application
  • district, school-wide, and classroom posts received as emails or texts by parents with two-way communication features
  • principal and teacher direct messaging with instant language translation using Google Translate
  • automated attendance notifications on student absences and tardies
  • school calendars and event rsvp’s
  • teacher to student communication for seventh through twelfth grade students

ParentSquare allows parents to choose how to receive school and classroom communication via email, text, or mobile application. Parents can also select when to receive messages either instantly or in digest format at the end of each day. Urgent school-wide messages can be sent through voicemail as well.  Parents will receive emails, texts, or voicemail messages to the email address or phone number on file with the school as part of the student enrollment process. 

Parents can download the GGUSD mobile application now on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 
 
GGUSD’s partnership with ParentSquare will enable a stronger dialogue between school and home, and will help empower everyone within the school community to stay connected and informed.